Enhancing humanoids’ walking skills through morphogenesis evolution method

Abstract

This paper presents an evolution method used to modify the morphology of humanoids to make them more efficient in a specific direction of walking. Starting from the NAO’s model used in the 3D Simulation Soccer League, the walking specializations are based on 5 to 8 parameters that are being evolved. A black-box optimization process is run and guided by a decision-making function that defines the outcome of the humanoid evolution process. The simulation results lead to four optimized morphological profiles, each of them specialized for either forward, or lateral, or diagonal walk, or in-place turn respectively. These results could be used to build heterogeneous humanoids inside a team of soccer players.